Over its 102-year history, the Wakefield Rotary Club has hosted many events and celebrations to honor veterans. In the most recent years, the club has honored its members who are veterans by posting vignettes highlighting their military photos and hosted the POW/MIA recognition table. In addition, the club befriended author Lawrence “Larry” Kirby, USMC (ret). Kirby often spoke at club meetings about his WWII memories from Iwo Jima and recounted tales from his book Stories from the Pacific: The Island War 1942-1945.
This year, the club welcomed TJ Tedeschi, USMC (ret) to speak in honor of Veterans Day. Tedeschi spoke about his 21-year career in the military on active duty and retiring as a Mustang Major. In 1992, he enlisted in Boston at age 17 and spent nearly a decade as an enlisted Marine, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. His early career involved parachute rigging in Iwakuni, Japan, Stewart Air National Guard Base, New York, and lastly as a helicopter aircrewman with the Presidential Helicopter Squadron, Marine Helicopter Squadron One, under Presidents Clinton and Bush. In 2001, TJ was recommended for a meritorious promotion to second lieutenant by the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Richard Neal and commissioned a second lieutenant in 2002.
Tedeschi graduated from the Expeditionary Warfare School, earned two graduate degrees, one in adult education, the other in leadership and is a doctoral student studying educational leadership. He has maritime experience aboard three Naval vessels, the USS Blue Ridge, USS Bataan, and the SS Wright. Tedeschi has served in Africa, central and east Asia, Europe, and the Middle East with assignments to support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Currently, Tedeschi serves as the Veterans Services Officer for North Reading, MA and is the founder of a newly-formed non-profit called Anger’s Gift which aims at supporting veterans when they are most in need. Wakefield Rotarians were amazed to hear about his accomplishments and current and future aims at being a philanthropist. Wakefield Rotary Past President Gene Mullen reflected, “My big take away was his modest pursuit of service above self, just like the Rotary motto. He has a remarkable life story that inspires patriotism, leadership and the calling to service others in need.”
The event also honored Wakefield Rotarians Jay Curley, US Army (ret), Frank Fiorentino, US Army (ret), Tom Stapleton, US Army (ret), and Judy Gordon, Peace Corps (India). Rick Hartman, US Army (ret) from Anger’s Gift and Brightview Army veteran residents Bill Veno and Greg Rocco also accepted the club’s invitation to attend the lunch presentation.
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About Rotary International & Wakefield Rotary Club
Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world. There are 1.2 million Rotarians in 160 countries worldwide. The first Rotary Club was founded in Chicago, Illinois in 1905 by an attorney named Paul Harris and several of his colleagues. The name “Rotary” was derived from the early practice of rotating meetings among each of the members’ offices. The Rotary motto is “Service above self”. The Wakefield Rotary Club meets each Tuesday at noon at Brightview on Crescent Street. For more information on the club's initiatives or to join the Wakefield Rotary Club, visit www.wakefieldrotaryclub.org or contact us at wakefieldrotaryclub@yahoo.com.
